The Dark War
The Dark War Aggressors: Azuran Empire, the Smallfolk, Yuan-Ti Defenders: Hag Triumvirate Duration of Conflict: 523 A.F.- 525 A.F. Result: Azuran Victory Summary: The Azuran Empire declared war upon the Hag Triumvirate after a Triumvirate enforced blockade of seaborne trade routes. After repeated diplomatic attempts to end the embargo met with no progress, Emperor Antonio secured backing from the Halfling Militias to the north and went to war. The land battle bogged down into a defensive struggle. Most of the war was fought over the southern isles south of of Witchhearth. The Azuran Navy was far more advanced and was able to break to bridge the Triumvirate had built across the sea. After securing naval superiority, the Hag Triumvirate was forced into a conditional surrender. Prelude to War The Hag Council, based in Witchhearth, had often struggled with the human kingdom of Azuran over control of trade routes. Both kingdoms boast control over important sea and land trade routes which had benefited them both. In 520 A.F., the Hag Council imposed a blockade over the strait in the south of the Eastern Sea. Initially, this was enforced with use of Merrow and Duergar mercenaries. Over the three years before the war, the Hag Triumvirate strengthened this blockade with demons and Witchhearth's Warlock Legion. This was all in defense of a massive construction project to build a bridge across the strait. Emperor Antonio did not believe the blockade would hold, imagining this to be an attempt to strong arm his nation. As time progressed and the blockade strengthened, it began to cut off trade from north to south altogether. The fast sailing ship that would have been able to avoid it were not being caught. Moreover, there were reports of the large bridge fortification taking shape. The Emperor visited Witchhearth himself, hoping to convince the Hag Council to loosen the blockade. However, there was no appeasement to fulfill. The Hags wanted nothing. The Triumvirate's true purpose was to reach out to the Yuan-Ti clans in Dhulkamas. There had been secret talks between the Hag Council and the Anathema, the Yuan-Ti's demi-god emperor, about an alliance against Azuran. However, before such a deal was to be made, the Yuan-Ti wanted an easier way to transport slaves and resources across the Eastern Sea. The bridge was the answer. By the early months of 523 A.F. the embargo had begun hurting trade across the Common Lands and Emperor Antonio was loosing patience with peace. Before forcing the blockade down, Antonio wanted to make sure that he had some way to contain a potential northern flank by the Hags. A brief meeting between Antonio and the Halfling and Gnome leaders to the north ensured that this would not happen. Though the small folk had no love of war, they promised to ensure that no armed force would cross their lands. An offensive fighting force they were not, but the Gnomes were master of fighting defensive battles from fortified positions. In mid 523 A.F., Emperor Antonio order an attack upon a Triumvirate outpost between the two kingdoms. As this occurred, a courier delivered a message to the Hag Council. Stating that the embargo had forced his hand, the Emperor gave the Triumvirate one last chance to loosen the blockade before he order his armies to march upon Witchhearth. At this point, the bridge was almost complete. The Hag Council knew the embargo had weakened Azuran. Fearful that the slightest influx of trade may be carrying arms or fighters, they related to the Anathema that the time to fight was now. The Yuan-Ti were not prepared for a war with Azuran, preoccupied with skirmishes against the Elves to their East. The Hag Council would not hear of the Anathema's unwillingness to fight until after the first battles had been fought and turning back was no longer an option. The Hag Council conjured a storm of darkness over the land. This magical storm would block out the sun in the region, allowing them to use every dark thing in their fighting force. Maintaining this darkness would keep two of the Hags busy for months, leaving one to coordinate the war effort. When Emperor Antonio saw the sun vanish behind a midnight veil, he know what the Hag's answer was to his demands. Ground Campaign The Emperor knew that the Hag's were at their strongest in land skirmishes. Between Cycloptic mercenaries, Warlock Legions, an army of loyal Duergar, and demons summoned from the Nine Hells themselves, the kingdom's entire magic abilities would have to be brought forward. A weakness he would not allow, he settled for digging into defensive position 18 miles south of Azuran. Throughout the war, Azuran lost many men. Because of the curse of darkness that held over the land, the sun very rarely broke through the cloud above. In a semi-permanent, inky darkness, the Triumvirate forces had a distinct advantage in combat. This made it necessary for Azuran to fight a defensive war. Any moves abroad may overlook an otherwise obvious trap. The intervention of a Stone Giant almost broke the line in the winter of 524 A.F. The line held throughout the conflict. Near the end of the war, Azuran armed forces were able to advance their defensive formation south by another 18 miles. Within siege distance of Gutterblow, mining town for the Hag Triumvirate, this exerted immense pressure upon the Triumvirate to cut their losses and surrender a few months later. Towards Naval Campaign Antonio wagered the war upon his navy. A re-purposed fleet of merchant ships, despite the lack of quality they made a very large force to contest sea control. The Azuran Navy was easily able to take control of the sea, but could not approach the fortified bridge. This structure had been fortified with catapults, mages capable of powerful evocations, and the few sea monsters the Hags were able to buy or enchant under their influence. The war ground to a halt at sea for two years while Azuran built the warships appropriate to besiege the bridge. Small skirmishes between Hag-loyal Kuo Toa in the southern isles and Azuran ships brought some losses, but these territories could easily be avoided, as they were later. However, even the inclusion of heavy warships could not fully break the structure. Protected by powerful magic, only some of the catapults could land blows before receiving siege fire themselves. The Anathema, who had been watching the conflict carefully, reached out to Emperor Antonio. It proposed a truce and an alliance against the Hags. The Yuan-Ti would storm the bridge from the southern side while Azuran forces attacked en masse. Antonio knew this offer was only coming as the Hags were losing. Were conditions reversed, the Yuan-Ti would be added to the Hag Council's forces. Regardless, Antonio promised a cease to Azuran harassment of the southern shore as well as control over the bridge upon the war's end. Four months into 525 A.F., the two armies attacked the fortification, taking the defenders by surprise. Antonio had instructed the Azuran Navy to destroy the bridge as fast as possible, not wanting to give the Yuan-Ti such easy land access so close to his home. This action brought about the hatred of the Yuan-Ti and a cease to the Yuan-Ti's participation in the Dark War. After establishing control over naval routes, Azuran was able to starve out the Hag Triumvirate, resulting in the Hag's surrender. The Battle of Brunderton The small folk to the north meant what they said when they promised to aid Azuran. They had no love of the Hag's and the influence they brought to the region. The small folk prepared a defensive line across the forests to their south, near a merry village named Brunderton. Truthfully, this was merely a set of Gnomish Cannons with a handful of Halfling militias to protect them. After meeting a staunch defense in Azuran, the Hag Council ordered a battalion of Duergar raiders to circumvent the defensive line north and scout out ways in which they may flank Azuran from the north. Gnomish artillery cut down many Duergar and scattered the rest in fear. Few have actually seen Gnomish "boom-barrels", fewer had experienced them in combat. Over and over, this line was tested. However, the Hag mistakenly never committed a full fighting force to breaking the line. Had they not put their hopes in the hands of the cowardly Duergar, perhaps the war may have turned out differently. Aftermath The surrender abdicated the Triumvirate's claim over the seas outside of the southern isles. The Hags ceased the spell of darkness, ordered to never again interfere with the lives of Azuran citizens. They were allowed to keep control over Gutterblow and all territory held previous to the war. The Triumvirate was forbidden from rebuilding the bridge. Enforced with pen and paper, it is also infested with Yuan-Ti who are hostile to all factions in the region.